The present invention relates in general to artificial leaf decorations such as artificial trees, artificial wreathes and the like, and method of forming same. More particularly, the present invention relates to such artificial trees and artificial wreathes which include a plurality of branches to which there are attached a plurality of artificial leaves possessing shape memory characteristics, e.g., returning to their desired orientation and shape after initial manufacture or after being removed from their packaging where the leaves are often crushed during repackaging, transport and/or storage.
Artificial leaf decorations have been widely used for decorative and display purposes both in the home and in the merchandising industry. For example, artificial trees simulating the configuration of the familiar evergreen tree or conifer universally used as a Christmas tree have enjoyed widespread popularity. One such artificial tree is known from Shaffer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,113 which discloses the tree branches being constructed from a plurality of artificial leaves formed by twisting together a pair of metal wires to entrap a filament therebetween forming thistles. Hunt, U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,117 discloses an artificial Christmas tree formed from a trunk having side branches integral therewith and twigs having thistles all of plastic material. Baus, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,459,624 discloses an artificial Christmas tree having leaves formed from twisted metal wires as conventionally known. Each leaf is formed with a bend at one end. In this condition, the bend is inserted radially into a slot within a portion of a branch leaving the terminal ends of the leaf extending outwardly from the branch. Other known constructions of Christmas trees are disclosed in Dieffenbach, U.S. Pat. No. 3,278,364; Reece, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,893,149; Baus, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,463,696; Landers, U.S. Pat. No. 1,689,530; Hyde, U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,545; and Kent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,818.
As artificial leaf decorations are often used seasonally, such as in the case of Christmas trees, there is the requirement that the tree be stored between use. Due to the relatively large volume occupied by fully assembled artificial trees, there is the desirability of constructing these artificial trees to be collapsible, i.e., knock-down, or suitable for removing its branches for compact storage. To this end, there is known from Reece, et al., an artificial tree constructed from a plurality of branches which are removably inserted into a corresponding socket provided within a tree trunk. In Hermanson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,102, the individual branches are pivotably attached to the tree trunk to enable their folding into a compact space for storage in a suitable rectangular carton or cylindrical tube.
Owing to the fact that the leaves of the known artificial trees are constructed from twisted metal wires, the leaves become bent, misshaped or positioned out of assembled orientation and/or alignment during storage in its carton either upon purchase or between use by the consumer. In any event, a typical artificial tree may have approximately 4,000 artificial leaves. In order for the assembled artificial tree to have a pleasing, natural and life-like appearance, it is often required that each of the artificial leaves be bent back into its natural position after being stored. Due to the large number of such artificial leaves, the average person will require hours to set up the artificial tree. In addition to being time consuming, this process is often tedious on one's hands which can become sore from manipulating the wire elements which support the leaves thistles.
In Paul, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,623 there is disclosed the construction of the thistles of a leaf for an artificial Christmas tree which is subject to compressed packing. Each branch of the tree is constructed from a metal rod upon which is helically wrapped a strip of metal foil, such as aluminum. The strip has a continuous, imperforated border along one edge and integral therewith a plurality of fillets of substantially equal width which forms the thistles. Each fillet has a longitudinal medial crimp extending substantially the entire length of the fillet. The medial crimp increases the natural resiliency of the fillet transverse of its length. The branch is initially stored in a cylindrical tube with the fillets in a collapsed condition. As the individual fillets clear the lip of the open end of the tube as the branch is withdrawn, they spring outwardly to assume their normal shape prior to being packed in the tube. The metal rods which form each of the branches are removably secured to a trunk at various angles of inclination to provide a conical configuration simulating a natural tree.
Notwithstanding the aforementioned construction of the thistles, the tree of Paul, et al. has an artificial look. In this regard, the branches are not constructed from individual leaves which are attached thereto. Rather, each branch is wrapped along its entire length with the aforementioned strip of metal foil to provide the thistles formed from the fillets. Accordingly, there is an unsolved need for an artificial leaf decoration such as a tree, wreath and the like, which is constructed from a plurality of individual artificial leaves that are attached to a branch which will return to their original angular orientation after storage and the like without the need for individual manipulation.